This invention relates to an improved functional control with integrated conditioning control logic means and particularly to a conditioning control module for modular fluid control systems.
Pneumatic control systems have been particularly developed for control of heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems for conditioning of air supplied to a comfort zone. A particularly satisfactory system of a modular construction is shown in the copending application of the present inventors entitled "Modular Fluid Control Apparatus and Method of Making" and filed on even date herewith. As more fully disclosed therein, a modular pneumatic control apparatus for controlling mixed air handling units in an air conditioning system includes a single configured manifold module plate having a plurality of function module plug-in connectors and a plurality of input/output plug-in connectors. Function modules have complementary plug-in connectors for connection to the manifold module. The modules are designed with common opposite outer plates having surface passageways abutting a center plate with opening to define a particular circuit. The outer plates have all external ports for defining any function module used in any system. The manifold module is a constant architecture and acts as an interface between the system sensors and load devices and the function modules which create the desired complex control systems. Only a relatively small number of function modules are required to develop the wide variety of control systems necessary to service the commercial, institutional and industrial requirements for heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems. The system is of course directly related to the availability of appropriate function modules to perform various processing of the signals. The modular system is also particularly adapted to an interactive computer based design procedure wherein a series of computer generated questions are answered to define the necessary functional modules and supporting components and connections to completely design a system with only a minimal understanding of the control instrumentation and their characteristics.
The modular pneumatic control provides for incorporation of logic and control means usually provided as separate field installed systems, such as cooling and heating switching and sequences, energy conservation means, safety response functions and the like.